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Our northern neighbors are taking an initiative that we should emulate in CA. Specifically they are concerned about a cost overrun on the deep bore tunnel in Seattle in which the state of Washington is telling the taxpayers living in Seattle that all costs are theirs to bear. As a result, recognizing the financial challenges that they face, activists calling themselves Protect Seattle Now have concluded a petition drive and released the following statement today.
Note: In our state we were misled by the HSRA when voting to approve the CA high-speed rail project. Ridership numbers, projected ticket costs and initial segment stations have all fallen off a cliff yet they continue to press ahead with this “special interest” transportation project. Having received their after the vote (Business Plan) report perhaps we should place a stop order on the November Ballot calling for a reconsideration.
27,721 Seattleites are ready to vote
By Protect Seattle Now Monday March 28, 2011
The following letter was sent today, March 28, 2011
Dear Mayor McGinn, Councilmember Conlin, Councilmember Clark, Councilmember Harrell, Councilmember Godden, Councilmember O’Brien, Councilmember Bagshaw, Councilmember Licata, Councilmember Burgess, Councilmember Rasmussen, City Attorney Pete Holmes,
Tomorrow the people of Seattle will file a petition with the City Clerk to hold a public vote on the deep bore tunnel project. 27,721 people signed this petition, more than 10 percent of Seattle’s voters. By submitting these signatures, the people of Seattle have earned the right to vote on this risky project. We expect that you will uphold the democratic process and perform your duty as directed in the City Charter by acting quickly to submit the referendum to a vote of the people.
The deep bore tunnel is one of the largest and most expensive infrastructure projects being undertaken anywhere in the United States, and it is likely to have significant cost overruns. Nine out of ten mega-projects go over budget by an average of 30 percent. The State of Washington has insisted that the people of Seattle alone must shoulder the enormous risk of this project and pay those cost overruns, risk that the State itself is unwilling and unable to bear. Seattle cannot afford to pay these costs, especially at a time when our State is forced to scale back essential public services. The people of Seattle have earned the chance to decide for ourselves whether we are willing to accept this risk and pay these costs.
In our City Charter, which you have each taken an oath to uphold, the people expressly reserved for ourselves the right to question the judgment of the Council through a referendum. It is a right that is frequently exercised and, until now, universally respected. We expect you to honor the democratic principles upon which Seattle was founded: that the people are sovereign, and that our right to vote is sacrosanct. We urge you to be true to your oath, and not to elevate your own judgment above that of the people you were elected to serve.
As our elected public servants, you have a responsibility to allow our democracy to function as mandated by the Charter. We ask that each of you pledge by 5 p.m. tomorrow that you will place this referendum on the ballot and not silence the voice of the people of Seattle.
Sincerely,
Drew Paxton
Move Seattle Smarter
Elizabeth Campbell
Seattle Citizens Against the Tunnel
Tim Harris
Real Change
Cary Moon
People’s Waterfront Coalition
Morgan Ahouse
Sierra Club, Washington State Chapter
Gary Manca
Friends of Seattle
MEDIA CONTACT
DREW PAXTON
protectseattlenow@gmail.com
(206) 257-2252
No……I want HSR…….I want to be more like Europe.
gericault.
Great. Let me know which European country you wish to move to and I’ll buy the one way ticket
You misunderstand, Brother Larry. Me and gericault want our native California – and Orange County – to be a lot more like Europe. France’ll do, or Holland, or England, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Spain… anywhere where they still believe in using the democratic power of government to make high-tech improvements in the people’s lives, to also rebuild the economy….
We’re stayin here though!
Brother Vern.
As you have read my comments you know where I stand on technology and speed.
Perhaps during the dot com days of old there might have been some money for this experiment.
If HSR is in such demand for our state perhaps one of our readers can explain why no VC is grabbing the opportunity to partner with us.
Oh, they expect an ROI. Risk reward? Been there and done that, successfully.
Without a “ridership guarantee” no investor will risk billions of dollars simply to give you a free ride on the choo choo.
I am in France as I write this and am in love with their transportation system which is incredibly efficient.
This should drive Larry nuts, but the government here pays every worker an eight euro lunch voucher if they eat at a cafe or brasserie. The French government wants to make sure their small businesses stay in business.
I cannot, however, bond with the very strange letter placement on the keyboards here.
Laura.
We’ve used high-speed trains in France. Once via the Chunnel from London and another trip to Switzerland. As you are in France you have not indicated if you live there or are simply on a vacation or business trip.
Check the local newspapers or the Internet where you should find editorials on our state budget crisis. The fed’s only advantage over CA is that they can simply print more money or continue borrowing from China to keep our government running.
Running. No, not high-speed trains when we issue pink slips to our public school teachers while American students fall further behind Asian students.
*Who is the girlyman here? Who needs to have the State of California vote on HSR? That
in fact may be a great idea. Let’s stop fooling around and put it on the ballot as an Initiative.